Editorial: On Gibbons’ ‘priority’

Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005 | 9:16 a.m.

Rep. Jim Gibbons' announcement Wednesday that he is a candidate for governor was anticlimactic, as it has been known for months that he would likely take a second shot at moving into the mansion in Carson City. By a wide margin, he lost his race in 1994 against incumbent Gov. Bob Miller, a popular Democrat. Mostly known then for his work in the Nevada Legislature as an assemblyman, Gibbons has a fuller resume today. The Northern Nevadan, a conservative Republican, was elected to the U.S. House in 1996 and has easily won four re-election campaigns.

Gibbons is viewed as the front-runner in a Republican primary that will likely include Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and state Sen. Bob Beers. Gibbons' other advantage this time, aside from his expanded resume, is that he already has a bankroll of nearly $2 million. He may have a huge disadvantage, though, when it comes to his base, conservative voters who want assurances that taxes will be cut, and certainly not raised. They will want the Gibbons they've grown to admire, the one who slams liberals, the one who rails against taxes and the one who champions limited government.

At his announcement, however, Gibbons said education will be his top priority. It will be interesting to hear the congressman explain that one to his base. Nevada's K-12 schools are among the worst-funded in the country. Most studies of the schools conclude that they need to be a higher priority, meaning they need considerably more funding from the state. So what does Gibbons mean by priority? More private schools? More home schooling?

We will be waiting to hear Gibbons' plan for making schools a top priority -- without raising taxes so they can at last be properly funded.